


A Man's Best Friend

by skepticvic



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Gary is an asshole, James T. Kirk & Leonard "Bones" McCoy Friendship, Light Angst, M/M, Minor James T. Kirk/Spock, best friend - Freeform, bones starts with a b, u kno what else starts with a b
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:41:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23607727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skepticvic/pseuds/skepticvic
Summary: Leonard McCoy comes to the rescue. I love their friendship and wanted to showcase it a little more since I'm missing my friends a lot.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock
Comments: 4
Kudos: 52





	A Man's Best Friend

**Author's Note:**

> My first ever posted fic. Hope yall like it.

It wasn’t uncommon to see James Tiberius Kirk at the local dive bar closest to Starfleet Academy grounds on Friday or Saturday nights. It also wasn’t uncommon to see him in the company of his right-hand-man Dr. Leonard McCoy, or a potential one-night-stand. What _was_ uncommon, was seeing him drinking alone at the bar with an aura of “if you even look my way I will kick your ass all the way into next week.” Some people just didn't understand that.

“Hey, Kirk, that fine body sure does look tense. Want me to loosen you up,” asked Gary Mitchell. Xenophobic, predatorial, misogynist asshole who never knew when to quit.

“I told you the last time Gary, leave me alone. We’re done.” Jim was so close to punching him. Gaila Vro, a computer genius and one of Jim’s best friends, told Jim that if she ever saw Gary talking to Jim, she would rip his balls off and force-feed them to him. Jim didn’t doubt her for a second.

“C’mon Jimmy, don’t be like that. You know how much fun we can have together. I guess you’ve changed too much for me. I don’t think I could fit my dick in your ass beside the stick that’s already there. Or has someone finally tamed the slut? Maybe that walking, Vulcan computer-”

He _really_ didn’t know when to quit, “Look, Gary, forget it, I already said no so please just leave me the fuck alone.”

“Is there a problem here?” Gary’s face turned an awfully pale color at the sound of Leonard McCoy’s voice. Gary’s breath quickened as he turned around and faced the furious expression that adorned McCoy’s face.

“Nope. Nothing at all. I was just leaving,” Gary said, sounding out of breath and on the verge of passing out.

“Yeah make sure it stays that way. If I ever see you near Jim again, I will personally see to your expulsion from the academy. I have friends in high places, so I suggest that you never cross me.” After McCoy’s last word, Gary rushed towards the bar’s exit leaving without another word. McCoy then turned to his lost-looking, blue-eyed roommate and best friend.

In the almost year that he had known Jim, he had seen a few of Jim’s facets. Hyper-focused, stressed, deliriously happy over simulation test-scores, drunk off his ass, and rightfully prideful after showing up some linguistics student that was gossiping about Jim in Klingon. But in the year he had known Jim, he had never seen the kid maudlin, lost, and trying to drown his sorrows in alcohol. Maybe he had just never noticed.

“You didn’t have to scare him off. I can handle myself, Bones.”

“I know you can, darlin’. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. He’s lucky I didn’t get to the part where I rough him up a bit.”

“Whatever happened to “do no harm,” isn’t that important?”

“It is, just not when it concerns Gary. Alright now enough about that idiot who we shouldn’t waste another breath on. Talk to me darlin’, what’s got you so down in the dumps the past couple of days.” Jim blew out a breath, fully knowing Bones would ask him this question sooner or later.

“It’s my birthday,” Jim muttered. He looked down at his drink and swirled the cheap, watered-down whiskey while waiting for Bones to respond to his statement.”

“Aw hell kid, I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention to the date. Is this a drink until you do irreparable damage to your liver kind of night or a mindless movie while lounging on the couch?”

“Neither Bones. Don’t worry about it alright, you don’t gotta keep up the facade alright? I don’t need you to mother-hen me.” Jim closed his eyes and tried regulating his breath as he felt a deep ache in his chest that made his stomach somersault.

“What facade are you talking about, Jim? Do you think I’m just gonna take your word and say “okay, bye,” and leave you to wallow in your pit of depression? No. I’m here because I want to be here and because you need me.”

“I don’t need you, Leonard McCoy. Don’t _make_ me need you. One day, you’re gonna leave me and I’ll be the dumbass who loses it because he can’t handle his own emotions since no one is there to help him. Ever since I could remember, I have been _alone_ for every birthday, noticing more and more that there was _never_ anyone who remembered the birthday of the Kelvin baby, just his father’s death. But that’s okay, I’m used to it. That’s why I’m giving you an out right now. No repercussions to whatever acquaintanceship or friendship we’ve had going on for a year now. Everything will go back to the way it was.”

McCoy sat still, feeling as if the wind got knocked right out of his lungs. He could feel a flurry of thoughts that raced through his mind as Jim said his last word. Knowing himself, Leonard McCoy knew he was a man of actions and not words. He took out his credit-chip from the pocket of his jeans and signaled for the bartender to pick it up. “I’m paying for his tab tonight.”

“Leonard, you don’t-”

“Don’t say another word. Let’s just go, okay?” Jim nodded silently, his stony facial expression never faltering. It would make a Vulcan proud. If they did feel pride anyway. He got his credit-chip back, stuffed it in his pocket without really paying attention, and grabbed Jim’s arm. They both headed towards the exit and walked into the brisk night.

...

Jim sat at their small dining table in the lounge of their dorm as Leonard leaned his back against the adjacent counter, waiting for the water to boil in an archaic-looking water boiler. “Len, you haven’t said anything since we left the bar. I’m sorry, I won’t talk about it again. You can request to switch dorms, I could send Pike a quick text or just stay the night at his place-”

“Jim, just shut up you damn idiot. I’m not going anywhere.” At the last phrase, Jim ducked his head as the ache in his chest returned. “Jim, I know you don’t believe me, but kid, I want you to understand that I’m not going anywhere, not even after how much you try to push me away.” Leonard turned back to the stove as the kettle screamed. He grabbed the two mugs with chamomile tea bags and honey and poured the boiling water into both. He stepped into his room in order to grab his big plush blanket, then walked into the lounge again, Jim not having moved with his eyes still downcast. At the sound of Leonard’s voice, Jim looked up, “Pretty sure I didn’t make two mugs for myself, wanna grab one and join me on the couch?”

“Yeah, okay.”

At the confirmation, Leonard set his plush blanket on the couch and set down his mug on their small coffee table. He wrapped himself with the blanket and waited for Jim to join him before extending his arm and making room for Jim to wrap himself in the blanket as well. As Jim’s unsure and tense body settled into his spot on the couch, Leonard reached for the remote and turned on one of Jim’s favorite movies. It was about an ordinary human in a bathrobe that went on strange adventures with extraordinary people.

Thirty-minutes into the film, Jim starts to say, “I’m sorry, Bones. I didn’t mean to upset y-”

“Jim stop it. I’m not looking for an apology kid. If you want something to apologize for, apologize for the dirty shoes and socks strewn about the dorm.” At that, Jim let out a breathy laugh. “I would be honored to be your friend, Jim. I’m not going to lie though, sometimes I see you like the little brother I never had with how much I have to make sure you don’t die.”

“I know you don’t want to hear it Bones, but I am sorry for the things that I said. If it weren’t for you, I’d have probably died of anaphylactic shock a long time ago. Also, you really got a habit of interrupting me.”

“Only when you say stupid stuff.”

“Oh, I’m sorr-”

“There, like that.”

“Bones will you shut up, I’m trying to have a moment here.”

“Save those moments for the hobgoblin you keep pining after.”

“Bones, don’t be like that. I already told you and Gaila, we're just friends. He doesn't like me like that, and it's nice to just play chess with somebody and talk, no strings attached.”

“So that's what the kids are calling sex these days. You’re head over heels for him.”

“Yeah Bones, I get it. You can see through my lies. I may have a slight crush on him. I’m going out to tea and coffee with him on Sunday.”

“Just promise me that I can be the best man at the wedding, okay?”


End file.
